Bolt-cutter head



(No Model.)' 3 Sheets-Sheet '1. F. H. RICHARDS. BOLT CUTTER HEAD.

Patented Jan. 22, 1895.

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Witnesses: X 6mm?! @ym Inventor.

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F. H. RICHARDS.

BOLT CUTTER HEAD.

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(No Model.)

No.532fl18.

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(No Modem v 3 Sheets Sheet 3..

I. H. RICHARDS;

'BOLT CUTTER HEAD.

No. 532,818. Patented Jan. 22, 1895..

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FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BOLT-CUTTER HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,818, dated January 22, 1 895.

Application filed July 30,1894. Serial No.518,966. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford,in the county of Hartford and State of Y Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolt-Cutter Heads,'of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in heads for bolt-cutters and like machines, the

object being to provide a head of the self-.

opening type, which shall have a practically rigid interconnection of its sliding parts and be for all practical purposes a substantially rigid body, both in its open and closed positions.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of a bolt-cutter head constructed in accordance with my present invention and showing the parts in their open positions. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, taken at right angles to that of Fig.1, and showing the head closed. Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal section, corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar, partial section, corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the head. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the body portion of the head. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section in line cca:," Fig. 6. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are, respectively, front and side elevations and an under side view of one of the die-blocks. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are similar views of one of the die-block-actuatin g slides.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

According to my present invention the boltoutter head is shown as having a body portion formed with a transverse guide-way and longitudinal guide ways, laterally-movable die-blocks engaging with said transverse guide-way, and die-block-actuating slides engaging with said longitudinal guide-ways of the body portion.

The body or main portion B of the head is shown formed of a solid piece and is internally screw-threaded at its rear end at 2, for securing the same to the spindle of the machine. Upon the front end or face of this body portion is shown a guide-way, 3, of the tongue-and-groove variety, and other similar guide-ways 4 and 5 are formed, longitudinally, in the side of said body. Slide-blocks,

machinespindle.

such as C, engage, by means of the tongues or T-shaped portions 6, with the said guideway 3, and are adapted to move therein toward or from one another. Die-block-actuating slides, such as D, are shown as engaging, by means of the T'-shaped portions '7, with the corresponding guide-ways l and 5 of the body portion B, and as adapted totravel therein longitudinally with respect to the axis of the machine-spindle. Said actuating slides also engage, by means of the guides 8 and 9, with inclined guide-ways, such as 10 and 11, formed in the side edges of the die-blocks and traversing the same longitudinally, parallel with one another and with the axis of the It will therefore be seen that, when the actuating slide or wedge is moved forward, the wedging action thereof will be exerted transversely upon the upper walls 10 and 11 of the'die-blocks, and longitudinally thereupon. The force thus exerted will spread the die-blocks, and these will be ing both of the die-blocks, I provide a levermechanism in connection with the slides or Wedges, which will now be described. The body portion B is shown as having longitudinal recesses 12, formed as continuations of the guide-ways i and 5, and located centrally thereof, so that their axes are in a line passing through the axis of the machine-spindle and are also parallel with said axis. Within said recesses are shown pivoted at13, by bolts or any other suitable means, two-armed or angle-levers,such as 14, the arms 14 and 14" of which engage, by their preferably'curved, outer edges, the end walls of a central, longitudinal slot 15in the actuating slide or wedge D. The recesses 12 in the body portion register-With the corresponding slots in the actuating slides, and are formed with front and rear stop-faces or abutments 12' and 12', against which the arms of the angle-lever are engaged to limit the movements, thereof. Upon the periphery of the hub' or body por-' tion B of the head, and also upon the curved portions 16 of the actuating slides or wedges,- which portions or faces are so curved as to coincide with the circle bounding the said hub,is mounted a lever-actuating collar, E, loosely secured thereon and adapted for reciprocation thereupon with respect to the body portion B. This collar is provided with an annular flange 17 upon its forward face, for the purpose of engaging against theinner wall 18 of the arm Id of the angle-lever and rocking said lever upon its axis 13, whereupon the actuating slide or wedge is carried forward, by engagement of said arm 14: against the forward end or wall of its slot 15, to the position shown in Fig. 4. At the end of this movement the arm 14: is securely lockedin position by engagement of its curved, outer face with the stop-face or abutment 12' ofthe body portion, and by engagement of its upper face 18 against the inner side or stopface 20 of the wedge-collar E. This movement of the lever has'carried the corresponding die-block 0 forward, and, by the wedging action of the actuating slide, exerted in transverse direction against the outer wall of the inclined guide-way in the die block, said dieblock is carried away from the axial line of the head, and the die correspondingly opened. It will be understood, of course, that both of the angle-levers are actuated simultaneously by means of the wedge-collar, and that the action upon each side of the head is identical with that upon the opposite side, whether the die is being opened or closed.

When the die is to be closed, the collar is retracted until the face 17' of the stop 17 clears the forward arm 14 of the angle-lever, and the wedge collar thereby unlocks the wedges or slides, and the die can now be closed.

' A second actuating-face, 21, is formed by the annular, flanged or upset portion 21 of the collar; and, shortly after the release of the arm 14: by the stop 17, the arm 14:" of the lever is engaged by said actuating-face 21, and the lever drawn to the position shown in Fig. 3, where it is locked by abutment against the inner, bearing face of the collar. It will be observed that the distancebetween the stopfaces 17 and 21' is somewhat less than the distance between the inner walls of the two lever-arms, in order to allow for play of the lever during its rocking movements. The le- Ver-arm 14: having been unlocked, by the movement of the collar to the right, the arm 14." is engaged, and, by engagement with the rear wall of the slot 15, in the actuating wedge or slide, carries said slide to the rear. By the pull of the inner walls 22 and 23 of the guides 8 and 9 of the actuating slide upon the corresponding walls 24 of the die-blocks, said lever-arm draws said wedges or slides positively to the rear, thereby causing the said blocks to ride down the inclined faces 8' and 9 of the actuating slides, and down the way 3, until the rounded faces 25 of said die-blocks, which were projected beyond the periphery of the head by the opening movement, again coincide with the circle describing the periphery of the head. It will be noticed that the rear walls of the die-blocks project beyond the circumference of the body portion while the die is open, to form stops for limiting the forward movement of the wedge collar. In Fig. 4, a second stop for checking the forward movement of the collar is shown, which comprises an annular flange, 26, formed integral with the said collar and having an inner stop-face 26'. Hence, when the collar is in its forward position and the die is open, the angle-levers are completely covered by the collar.

In both the forward and the rearward movements of the collar and actuating slides, a portion of the strain is taken up by the broad bearing-faces or surfaces of the guide-way 3 and the guides 6, so that the die-blocks yield freely when a force is exerted in either direction; the said die-blocks being guided within the way 3 and against the forward faces 27 of the body portion, and actuated either by the bearing-faces 8 and 9' engaging corresponding, outer faces, as 10' and 11', of inclined ways, such as 10 and 11, or else by the pull of the inner walls or bearing-surfaces 22 and 23 of the guides 8 and 9, upon the inner walls or faces 24 of the inclined ways of the dieblocks.

I have shown each of the die-blocks as provided with two dies, 28, each of which is held 7 against radial movement bya check-screw 29, and against lateral or wabbling movement by means of a clamping-screw, 30, working in an oblique slot 31 in the face of the body portion and engaging the recessed portion 32 of the die, for looking it in position. The particular method of, or means for, holding the dies in place is, however, immaterial, as the same result might be accomplished in many different ways.

In order to facilitate the discharge of chips from the dies,l have shown the die-blocks as provided with bores or openings 32, just'beyond the rear edges of the dies; but these openings may be omitted.

By means of my present improvements I obtain a head for bolt-cutters and like machines in which the several parts are maintained at all times in practically the same relation to one another, so far as the solidity of the head is concerned, and in which all of the sliding parts are positively interconnected in such a manner as to maintain a substantially solid structure in all positions of the movable parts. The force exerted upon the die-blocks is so distributed at both the front and the rear ends thereof, that there is but a minimum loss by friction between opposing faces of the guides and guide-ways, and the broad bearing-faces of the way 3. The guide 6 and the face of the body portion B hold the dieblocks firmly in position, while preventing binding of the meeting faces of the inclined guides and ways against one another. of the die-blocks move simultaneously, and are adapted to be operated from either end simultaneously, so that all of the movements upon one side of the central axis will be in Both synchronism with those upon the opposite side, and an accurate adjustment of the dies thus assured by a single movement of the wedge-collar. WVhen so adjusted, both of the levers for securing the die-blocks are simultaneously locked in their set positions,

so that the shaking loose of said die-blocks by the jarring of the head and spindle to which they are secured is prevented.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l 1. In a head for bolt-cutters, the combination with the body portion of the head having a transverse guide-way, of opposing sliding die-blocks engaging said guide-way, and die-block-actuating means cooperating with said body portion and with the die-blocks and in position-and adapted for engaging the opposing faces of said die-blocks on diametrically-opposite sides of the head and for closing the space between said faces in all positions of the head and also serving to simultaneously and positively actuate both die-blocks in either direction, substantially die-block-actuating slides cooperating with said body portion and with the die-blocks and in position and adapted for engaging the opposing faces of said die-blocks on diametrically-opposite sides of the head and for closing the space between said faces in all positions of the head, and means for simultaneously actuating said slides in either direction, substantially as described.

3. In a head for bolt-cutters, the combination with the body portion of the head having a transverse guide-way therein, of opposing sliding die-blocks engaging said guide-way and having inclined lateral ways, and-actuating slides cooperating with said body portion and having inclined guides engaging the inclined ways of the die-blocks and serving to actuate said die-blocks in either direction in said transverse Way said slides being positioned and adapted to engage the opposing faces of the die-blocks on diametrically-opposite sides of the head and close the space between said faces in all positions of the head, substantially as described.

4. In a head for bolt-cutters, the combination with the body portion of the head having a transverse guide-way therein, of opposing sliding die-blocks engaging said guide-way and having inclined lateral ways, die-blockactuating slides cooperating with said body portion and having inclined guides engaging the inclined ways of the die-blocks and in position and adapted for engaging the opposing faces of said die-blocks on diametrically-opposite sides of the head and closing the space between said blocks in all positions of the head, and means for simultaneously actuating said slides in either direction in said transverse way, substantially as described.

5. In a head for bolt-cutters, the combination with the body portion of the head having a transverse guide way and longitudinal guide-ways therein, of opposing sliding die: blocks engaging said transverse guide-way and havinginclined lateral ways, slotted actuating slides engaging said longitudinal ways in the body portion and having inclined guides engaging the inclined ways of the die-blocks said slides being positioned and adapted to form with said body portion and die-blocks a substantially rigid and unitary structure in all positions of the head, angle-levers extending through the slotted slides and pivoted within the body portion of the head, and a collar surrounding the head and serving to engage the arms of the levers and thereby simultaneously actuate the slides, substantially as described.

6-. In a head for bolt-cutters, the combination with the body portion of the head having a transverse guide-way therein, of opposing sliding die-blocks engaging said guide-way, die-block-actuating slides cooperating with said body portion and with said die-blocks and in position and adapted for forming therewith a substantially rigid and unitary structure in all positions of the head, angle-levers pivoted within said body portion for actuating the slides, and a lever-actuating collar surround- FRANCIS I-I. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, A. L. THALHEIMER.

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